With 2020 came the global Covid-19 pandemic that hurdled the world to an economic slowdown — one that mimicked, in several ways, the recession of 2008. During the time when bear markets, layoffs, and the economic disparity was plaguing India, one sector and millions of stakeholders of that sector experienced an unprecedented boom — the Online Gambling Industry.
Do you’ve more players in India trying out their luck online?
It does seem so!
Don’t trust us, trust the figures! Reports show that the Indian online gaming industry experienced a whopping growth of 21% during the lockdown and considering that the larger chunk of online gaming is gambling, the Indian online gambling scene hit its all-time record high traffic and revenue generation during the very desolate months of 2020.
The fact that a March 2020 report suggests that about 80% of the Indian population is now gambling online, we can only imagine and marvel at the amount that must have been pumped into the industry to push it to over a fifth of its growth proportion.
Are you curious about what exactly drove gambling industry to acceleration? Let’s find out!
Reasons Why Online Gambling Peaked During Lockdown (Besides Leisure Purposes)
Online gambling obviously involves money — a resource that only about 1% of the country’s population holds in excess — which most cannot afford to waste when markets are slumped and work is on a halt. There were factors much more prominent than simply having time to kill that drove masses to online casinos.
Offline Gamblers Turning To Online Sites
Habits die hard, what can a lockdown do to budge a habitual gambler? Although illegal in most parts of the country, Indians find their ways to gamble with money offline. Not to mention how the closure of Goa casinos affected the economy. With the shutters of bars and cricket stadiums down, Indians figured a way to continue putting their black gambling experience to use on white platforms.
Non-Gamblers Exploring Gambling To Maintain Cashflow
More than 5 out of a hundred people you meet in India are unemployed, and that’s excluding the non-earning demographics.
Lockdown only multiplied the figure manifolds, thereby leaving thousands walking on thin strings of economic survival. Several Indians of all ages turned towards gambling as a source of extra cash. Moreover, those with extra cash already at their disposal found gambling to be a much safer investment option than the volatile markets.
Aggressive Digital Marketing On Social Media
One major up-gradation that the entire gambling industry experienced during the lockdown was the emancipation of marketing tools. Online casinos and gambling sites marketed and advertised on digital platforms like there was no tomorrow.
In fact, using lockdown as an excuse, online gambling brands settled for simple banner ads on advertisement spaces on platforms like Instagram and Hotstar that were available at much cheaper rates. This must surely be the cheapest conversion strategy and highest ROI that the industry would have ever experienced.
Top Online Gambling Games That Defined The Trends In India During Lockdown
Online gambling games and their popularity skyrocketed in alignment with Indian demographic sentiments. The young generation was naturally attracted to websites and games that reflected elaborate international casinos like Baccarat or Roulette.
Older generations, however, preferred sticking to their offline favorites. Rummy and Teen Patti experienced an overflow of traffic and several new brands jumped the bandwagon to make the most of the wave.
- “We’ve never had this many visitors on the website as we have today” says the webmaster of Teen-patti.net.
One thing that these trends make clear is that India has now become more trusting towards online gaming and gambling. With more sophisticated platforms and safer transactions, there is no limit to the growth potential here.